The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

Parramatta man charged with grooming girls

A NSW man has been charged following the alleged online grooming of teenage girls under the age of 16.

Police arrested the 37-year-old man at a home in Parramatta in Sydney's west on Tuesday morning and charged him with two counts of using a carriage service to groom for sex and sending indecent material.

He was granted conditional bail and is expected to face Parramatta Local Court on January 27.